Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'll buy that. It's a liberal area indeed, just not "California" liberal. Which somehow gives it a non-superficial vibe. Of course, it's a speculation, since I've never visited it, either. Unless you count New York.
Wrong on all counts, but OK because you're just speculating.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, is a sprawling giant suburb (read: not dense), and I felt judged the minute I left LAX. There was just an intimidating vibe in the air . I felt really out of place, dressed in gym shoes, casual jeans, and an Old Navy T-shirt. (Maybe I should have worn Armani .) Fortunately, it was just a 45-minute transit to Port of Long Beach, without setting foot in LA itself.
All cities should be judged by cab rides from the airport to a nearby other transportation facility.
I don't know if this is true all the time. When me and my friends road-tripped to New Orleans, I found it to be one of the most welcoming places I've ever traveled to. Not in a "hold your hand as you get to know the place" way, but rather "come as you are" way. And it was pretty dense even it on the outskirts, at least by American standards. Parts of the French Quarter are very wealthy too, only I didn't "feel" the wealth.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, is a sprawling giant suburb (read: not dense), and I felt judged the minute I left LAX. There was just an intimidating vibe in the air . I felt really out of place, dressed in gym shoes, casual jeans, and an Old Navy T-shirt. (Maybe I should have worn Armani .) Fortunately, it was just a 45-minute transit to Port of Long Beach, without setting foot in LA itself.
Perhaps it's not a bad idea to define what "welcoming" actually means. Is it a place that holds your hand as you get to know it, a place where it's OK to come as you are, a place where you feel comfortable for no apparent reason, some combination of these, or something else entirely?
LA is actually very dense, as a metropolitan area it is more dense than NYC. It obviously doesn't have as much of the super hyper dense areas like Manhattan but it is still dense over a wide space, it's just not so much a walkable city over all. Density does not equal walk-able. This is obvious if you ever drive there with all the traffic.
The population density in NOLA is super low (under 2000) but that is because parts of it are undeveloped.
The most dense part of NOLA the french quarter which at a density of a little under 8,000 people per square mile which for America is pretty dense.
LA, as a whole, not adjusting for park land that you can't build on, has a population density of 8,483 per sq mile.
Parts of LA have much higher density. According to this list of LA neighborhoods, The French Quarter in NOLA would be LA's 128th most densely populated neighborhood if it was in Los Angeles. Korea town which is an area of 2.70 square miles btw, has a population density of over 42,000. Population Density Ranking - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times
I guess to further challenge your assessment:
NOLA is neither dense (unless in certain parts of the city, but not the over all region or state) It is not very wealthy, (very poor city actually) and most people in the city are not super partisan at all about politics. I've known many, many people from the area (two old roomates, college friends, and coworkers) and they swing widely from Conservative to Liberal, but most don't care that much and just want to get along.
L.A. is often held up as the capital of superficiality and materialism... and maybe that's accurate if applied to the wealthier parts of town... but I grew up in an L.A. suburb (Whittier) that was thoroughly unpretentious. I even had a relative (brother-in-law) who worked in the movie industry, but he was as down-to-earth as anyone you'll ever meet (he originally hailed from a small town in Ohio).
Making generalizations about L.A. is reckless, because it's a metro area of 13 million... that's larger than all but four U.S. states.
I've lived in Ohio, Colorado, Maryland (DC suburb), Florida, Missouri, Alabama and New Mexico. New Mexico, by far, is the least affected. Of course there is the very small, very moneyed section of Santa Fe that is the exception, but the rest of the state, particularly Albuquerque, is very live-and-let-live. And that's across the board, from things like homes, clothes and cars, to acceptance of different religions, gender identity, gay/straight, etc.
West Virginia definitely fits the bill there. The most down to Earth people ever! While people are friendly and easygoing they are also very open about things and what is and isn't tolerated/acceptable there.
Walmart brands ,not fancy designer labels, are the norm and people in elite clothing actually stand out. People are definitely much more into pickup trucks and Jeeps than Mercedes, BMWs, other luxury vehicles etc.
A place where someone is immediately judged because they drive a BMW or wear designer labels is VERY SUPERFICIAL. Judging people because they wear Wal-Mart; judging people because they wear Armani...what's the difference?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NW4me
L.A. is often held up as the capital of superficiality and materialism... and maybe that's accurate if applied to the wealthier parts of town... but I grew up in an L.A. suburb (Whittier) that was thoroughly unpretentious.
Making generalizations about L.A. is reckless, because it's a metro area of 13 million... that's larger than all but four U.S. states.
I grew up in the same town. I agree, it was/is not superficial at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist
Los Angeles, on the other hand, is a sprawling giant suburb (read: not dense), and I felt judged the minute I left LAX. There was just an intimidating vibe in the air . I felt really out of place, dressed in gym shoes, casual jeans, and an Old Navy T-shirt. (Maybe I should have worn Armani .) Fortunately, it was just a 45-minute transit to Port of Long Beach, without setting foot in LA itself.
You felt judged by whom exactly? The cab driver? I wear jeans and sneakers every single time I go to LAX, and I never feel any intimidating vibe, maybe because I grew up in the LA area and know perfectly well that not everyone there is a rich snob. Maybe you felt what you expected to feel.
You felt judged by whom exactly? The cab driver? I wear jeans and sneakers every single time I go to LAX, and I never feel any intimidating vibe, maybe because I grew up in the LA area and know perfectly well that not everyone there is a rich snob. Maybe you felt what you expected to feel.
Not the driver, obviously. People in customer service generally treat everyone they serve with outward politeness. But there was definitely something in the air. I'm sure the gridlocked traffic on I-405 or I-110 (one of those, I forgot which one) made LA feel more intimidating that it would otherwise feel. The traffic was so bad, that the driver detoured onto surface streets, which were marginally better. But if you're comfortable in LA, I'm happy for you.
Just for the records, it wasn't the kind of "intimidating" people would feel in a high-crime area. (Cf. "Falling Down" movie.) It felt more like accidentally walking into a private party where I don't belong.
I'll buy that. It's a liberal area indeed, just not "California" liberal. Which somehow gives it a non-superficial vibe. Of course, it's a speculation, since I've never visited it, either. Unless you count New York.
People aren't very "showy" in New England. Even the wealthiest don't seem to flaunt it.
What part of the US is least prone to the mentality of keeping up with the Jones and are least likely to judge others based on the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the phones rhey own, etc.
Maine, north of the Volvo line.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. I felt really out of place, dressed in gym shoes, casual jeans, and an Old Navy T-shirt. (Maybe I should have worn Armani 
.) Fortunately, it was just a 45-minute transit to Port of Long Beach, without setting foot in LA itself.
by the way...
